Well, with that in mind, I have some good news and some less-good news for you . . .

The good news: Russian only has three verb tenses (past, present, future), woohoo!

The less-good news: In addition to these three verb tenses, Russian verbs have “aspects.”

What is Russian Verbal Aspect?

Because there are only three basic verb tenses in Russian, aspects help provide additional context about the nature of an action. Is the action habitual or is it a one-time action? Is the action ongoing or has it been completed? Understanding Russian verbal aspect is essential to being able to express these differences. 

In Russian, there are two verbal aspects – the imperfective aspect and the perfective aspect. Most verbs in Russian are considered “aspect pairs” and consist of both an imperfective verb and a perfective verb. We will explore the differences between the two in detail below, but in general, imperfective verbs describe continuous, or habitual actions in the past, present, and future, while perfective verbs describe completed, one-time actions in the past and future. 

For example, one aspect pair we will be using in today’s lesson is “читать/прочитать,” meaning “to read.” Take a look at the following example sentences to get an idea of how the verbs are used.

Вчера я читала книгу 3 часа. – Yesterday I read a book for 3 hours. (I didn’t necessarily finish the book, what’s important is that it was a process.)

Я читаю книгу. – I am reading a book. (Right now, at this moment.)

Завтра я буду читать книгу. – Tomorrow I’m going to read a book. (I don’t have a specific goal to finish the book, I’ll just be reading.)

Вчера я прочитала книгу. – Yesterday I read a book (and I finished it.)

Завтра я прочитаю книгу. – Tomorrow I will read a book (and I will finish it.)

Important note: Aspect pairs (ex. читать/прочитать) can have identical meanings, however, the perfective verb often expresses more specific meaning. In the case of читать/прочитать, they both translate to “to read,” but, as noted in the examples above, the perfective verb «прочитать» has an implication of finishing reading, or reading through something.

So, now that we’ve dipped our toes in, let’s dive into the deep end & learn exactly when you should use imperfective verbs and when you should use perfective verbs!

Russian Verbal Aspect: Past, Present & Future

Imperfective Verbs

1. Repeated or habitual actions (past, present, future)

• Когда я был в школе, я просыпался каждое утро в 6 утра. – When I was in school I woke up every morning at 6am.
• Я пытаюсь заниматься йогой ежедневно. – I try to do yoga daily.
• Мне надоело убирать за тобой. – I’m tired of cleaning up after you.
• Зимой я буду читать каждый день. – In the winter I am going to read every day.

2. Incomplete actions that are currently in progress (present)

• Что ты делаешь сейчас? – What are you doing now?
• Сейчас я слушаю подкаст. – Right now I am listening to a podcast.

3. Verbs that describe simultaneous actions, repeated consecutive actions, and actions describing general background information (past, present, future)

• Когда я работала в Санкт-Петербурге, я снимала квартиру. – When I was working in Saint-Petersburg, I rented an apartment.
• Когда я жила дома, у нас с мамой была весёлая рутина. Мы с мамой вместе ходили на пилатес, а потом сразу после этого мы надевали купальники и плавали в океане. – When I lived at home, my mom and I had a fun routine. We would take pilates classes together, and then immediately after, we would put on our bathing suits and swim in the ocean.
• Вчера всё было идеально. Солнце светило, птицы чирикали, и дети играли. – Yesterday was perfect. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the children were playing.
• Пока я езжуна работу, я часто слушаю русскоязычные подкасты. – While I go to work (by transport), I often listen to Russian language podcasts.
• Летом я буду работать учителем английского языка и снимать квартиру. – In the summer, I will be working as an English teacher and renting an apartment.
• В рабочие дни я буду вставать в 6 утра, завтракать , и выходить из дома к 7. – On weekdays, I’ll get up at 6:00 in the morning, have breakfast, and get out of the house by 7:00.
• Я так взволнована завтрашней вечеринкой. Будет живая группа и танцы! – I am so excited for the party tomorrow. There will be a live band and dancing!

4. Actions which emphasize a process – not a result (past, present, future)

• Вчера я читала свою книгу три часа. – Yesterday, I read my book for three hours.
• Он учится плавать. – He’s learning to swim.
• Она привыкла жить одна. – She’s used to living alone.
• Завтра я буду работать с девяти до пяти. – Tomorrow, I will be working from nine to five.

Perfective Verbs

An Overview of Russian Verbal Aspect